New Delhi, October 2026: The government has amended the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, introducing changes to vehicle emission and fuel standards, including provisions for vehicles running on 100 per cent ethanol (E100) fuel. The amendments, notified by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, came into effect on Monday.
Under the revised rules, references to E85 fuel in several emission standards and testing requirements have been expanded to include E85 or E100. The changes aim to accommodate vehicles designed to operate on higher ethanol blends.
However, the government has clarified that E85 or E100 fuel must be used only in flex-fuel vehicles specifically designed by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to run on these fuels.
The amendments also revise certain vehicle classifications and technical specifications. In one emission-related table, the gross vehicle weight threshold has been increased to 3,500 kg from the earlier limit of 3,000 kg.
Other changes include updates to provisions concerning hydrogen-compressed natural gas (HCNG), petrol blended with up to 20 per cent ethanol (E20), and biodiesel standards. The notification also incorporates technical corrections to emission-testing tables and related notes.
The move comes amid India's efforts to expand ethanol use in the transport sector and reduce dependence on conventional fossil fuels.
Earlier this year, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said that using cars powered entirely by ethanol could bring fuel costs down to the equivalent of around ₹25 per litre. He has also highlighted the potential of ethanol as an alternative fuel for reducing pollution and supporting domestic energy production.
“Ethanol is being used in 19 countries in the world and today no complaint is coming from any vehicle in India,” Gadkari said.
Meanwhile, India's ethanol industry is preparing for higher demand if the country moves towards a 25 per cent ethanol-blending target, or E25.
According to a report by Brickwork Ratings, ethanol demand under the E25 blending scenario could reach 17.9 billion litres by financial year 2031 in the base-case projection.
The report noted that India's existing installed distillation capacity of 18.25 billion litres is sufficient to meet demand under both the base and bear scenarios.
Under the base case, capacity utilisation would reach approximately 98 per cent. If ethanol blending remains at E20, demand under the bear case is estimated at 14.3 billion litres, translating into utilisation of around 78 per cent.
The latest amendments provide a regulatory framework for E100-compatible flex-fuel vehicles while updating existing fuel and emission-related provisions. Their implementation will be relevant to vehicle manufacturers developing engines and systems capable of operating on higher ethanol concentrations.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
